FOUR FUNERALS AND MAYBE A WEDDING (ROYAL SPYNESS BOOK #12) BY RHYS BOWEN: BOOK REVIEW

Georgie is finally able to plan for her wedding in the summer. It is going to be a summer of weddings: her mother is marrying Max, her German beau; Georgie’s grandfather is marrying his next-door neighbor, Mrs. Huggins; and Darcy’s father is getting up the courage to ask the princess to marry him. Georgie is staying at the princess’s London house when she receives a letter from one of her mother’s former husbands, Sir Hubert Anstruther. Georgie is now his sole heir, and he’s offering her the use of his lovely country house. He suggests she move in right away to keep an eye on the place because all might not be well since his butler died.

Georgie talks this through with her husband-to-be, Darcy, who is off to Europe again, this time to Berlin. They decide that she will take Sir Hubert up on his offer. However, when Georgie arrives, it becomes clear that she is definitely not wanted in the house. Strange things are happening, including a lively ghost and a less than friendly reception from the new butler. When a body shows up, Georgie realizes that Sir Hubert’s invitation may not have been entirely altruistic and begins to wonder if she’ll even make it to her wedding day. (Goodreads)

Review:

Will Georgie and Darcy finally walk down the aisle? Not only is Georgie planning her own nuptials, plans that get more complicated by the day given her royal relatives, but her mother and grandfather also have impending weddings. Always insecure about where she will land, Georgie jumps at her ex-stepfather’s offer to set up house in his Sussex manor. However, it is quickly obvious that something fishy is going on with the house’s diminished staff. As usual, Georgie finds herself smack in the middle of a mystery.

Time spent with Georgie is always time well spent. Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding is a solid entry in the Royal Spyness Mystery Series. Even though it gets off to a rather slow start, once Georgie arrives and Sir Hubert’s Sussex home the pace and intrigue pick up. This book is a bit different in that there is no murder right away. What does it say about me that I was impatient for someone to die? I also feel like I figured it all out way before Georgie.

I like Georgie. She is a unique protagonist with her royal connection yet diminished financial circumstances. To me, she shows a great deal of character growth in this installment, finding her own voice. It is nice to see her mother evolve a bit, too, and Georgie’s grandfather is one of my favorite recurring characters. As always, I wish Darcy had been around more. Perhaps that will change as the series moves forward. The house staff is pretty unlikable, and their presence makes me appreciate ladies maid turned cook Queenie all the more.

Fans of the series will not be disappointed. I have heard a rumor that this is the final book in the long-running series, and I hope that is not the case. I look forward to many more adventures alongside Georgie.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*